'Second Amendment Is Becoming a Suicide Pact'

California has seen three deadly mass shootings in three days, and Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered a line to CBS Evening News likely to fire up both sides of the gun laws debate. "The Second Amendment is becoming a suicide pact," said Newsom on a visit to Monterey Park, site of Saturday night's massacre at a dance studio. He added that "nothing about this is surprising. Everything about this is infuriating." Separately, Newsom called it "insane" that large-capacity magazine clips were so easy to obtain in the US, per ABC10. "The fact that that is not being addressed in the country is comical. It's disgraceful. It's offensive."

The governor said he has "great respect" for the Second Amendment and has "no ideological opposition to someone reasonably and responsibly owning firearms and getting background checks and being trained," per Axios. The gunman in Monterey Park used a high-capacity magazine that is illegal in California, and Newsom said authorities will investigate how he obtained it. "That's going to happen. You got to enforce laws. Things fall through the cracks, but it doesn't mean you give up."

As the Washington Post notes, California has what are widely considered to be the toughest gun laws in the nation, including mandatory waiting periods and background checks for gun purchases as well as a ban on military-style assault rifles. It also has a red-flag law that allows police to remove guns from owners believed to be a threat to themselves and others. According to the CDC, the state has the seventh-lowest firearms mortality rate in the nation, with 8.5 deaths per 100,000 in 2020. The national average is 13.7. Mississippi has the highest rate (28.7) and Hawaii (3.4) the lowest.